


Cream and Sugar (or possibly salt)

by intheKnickoftime



Category: Purple Hyacinth (Webcomic)
Genre: Kym being the wingman Lukas definitely didn't ask for, Lauren suspecting Kywi, Multi, No angst this time I promise, and bantering friends, completely fluffy, generalized office romance and drama, only paperwork and coffee shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24181609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intheKnickoftime/pseuds/intheKnickoftime
Summary: A relatively calm morning at the Eleventh Precinct, in which our favorite crew of characters deal with coffee, paperwork, and each other. Brace for banter, suspected and developing relationships, and utter fluffiness.
Relationships: Kym Ladell & Lauren Sinclair, Kym Ladell/William Hawkes, Lukas Randall "Grumpy Cat"/Lila Desroses, other friendships
Comments: 10
Kudos: 81





	Cream and Sugar (or possibly salt)

**Author's Note:**

> This has loose connections to my works "Tolerable Company" and "Golden Boy," though you don't need to have read those in order to understand this.
> 
> I wanted to slip in a few vague references to Lauki but the others took over. My apologies (but not really because they were fun to write anyways hahah)

The early afternoon sun was streaming comfortably through the windows of the Eleventh Precinct, overlooking an office that was, surprisingly, quiet. The patrol unit had recently returned from their morning rounds, and settled down to take care of their daily share of reports and other busywork. The only sounds were the gentle whirring of the ceiling fans, the scratching of pencils (and occasional muttered curse if a tip broke off), the shuffling of papers- the sounds of quiet productivity-

“Ha-HA!”

Will jumped at the sound of a stack of papers being slammed emphatically onto a desk. He managed to right himself and stay in his seat, but did drop his pencil in surprise. Sighing, he glanced up at the wicked grin that Kym was giving him, and then down at the pile of paperwork she had deposited.

“Yes?” He asked, pretending to yawn. Kym stuck out her tongue at him and threw a paper clip at his head.

“I have _finished_ the paperwork you assigned me, Lieutenant! I have summited the great mount of office work! I am _free_ \- and _before you_ , I might add-” Kym spread her arms dramatically, beaming as she extolled her great achievement.

“-for once,” Will grumbled, something like a half smile flickering across his face. “But you know, I’m not the one you’re supposed to submit those to.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Kym said, waving her hands dismissively at him. “I just wanted to show off my incredible accomplishment. Good luck with _your_ paperwork, Willame.” Scooping her pile up once more, she sauntered over to secretary Desroses’ desk, where Lila was scratching off a signature. Finishing her writing with a neat little flourish- Lila Desroses’ penmanship was indisputably hailed as the neatest in the precinct- she glanced up at Kym and smiled.

“All done, Sergeant?” she asked, adjusting her glasses with one arm and holding the other out to accept the papers from Kym. “Thank you! I’ll get these sorted soon.”

“Many thanks, O fair secretary,” Kym said theatrically, sharing a smile with Lila. “I must say, it is quite nice to be free. Whatever shall I do with all this leisure time?”

“Help me,” Lauren spoke up, grimacing at Kym from over a stack of her own paperwork.

“Ah, but of course!” Kym gasped, rushing over to her friend’s desk. “I couldn’t possibly neglect a friend in need!”

“Hey,” Will protested from his own desk. “I thought I’d said before you weren’t allowed to pawn paperwork off on others- I’d expect it from Kym, but not you, Lauren.” He glanced over at the pair of them with a mock-severe expression.

“I was kidding, Will,” Lauren said, speaking over Kym’s outraged exclamation. “I’ll get it all done just fine- don’t worry.”

“Mhmm,” he grumbled, already returning to his work. “If _anyone_ needs the extra help, it’s me.” He gave the remaining papers on his desk a rueful look. “I don’t know why I’ve been hit with so much today, but I feel like I’m lost in a maze of dotted lines and fine print.”

“And yet,” Kym said loftily, “surely the righteous lieutenant wouldn’t _dream_ of shunning his duties and passing them off onto his poor subordinate?”

Though much of her attention was focused on teasing William, Kym didn’t miss the way Lauren’s hands twitched as she spoke. One tightening itself into a momentary fist, the other clenching her pencil tighter, as though something about Kym’s phrasing had bothered her.

Interesting.

Lauren didn’t seem to notice the slip, and stayed focused on her papers. Kym shrugged it off, though still filed this odd bit of information away. Perhaps it would come up again.

“No, no, of course not,” Will said, rolling his eyes as Kym pushed off from Lauren’s desk and skipped over to bother him instead. “But surely I’d be within my rights to ask said subordinate for a coffee refill?” He met her eyes with a teasing grin, which Kym responded to by sticking her tongue out before she succumbed to the urge to smile back.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll go replenish your caffeine, Golden Boy. Reluctantly. Perhaps I’ll put salt instead of sugar in it, just for fun.” She scooped up his empty white mug and strode away toward the breakroom.

“I do have the authority to dump more paperwork on you if you try anything, Ladell,” Will called after her. “Just as a reminder.”

“You’re no fun!” She shouted back, exiting the office with his coffee mug clutched in her hand.

She missed Will’s smile at her retreating back.

Lauren saw it, though.

“Golden Boy?” she asked, a faint smile playing across her face. “That’s a new one.”

“Lauren, don’t-” Will looked almost distressed as he turned to stare at his friend.

“And was that an actual _smile_ from you? At _Kym Ladell?_ I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.”

“Shut up,” Will groaned, covering his face with one hand and returning determinedly to his paperwork.

\---

Kym sauntered into the break room, the coffee mug clutched in her hand. It was empty save for Grumpy Cat, who gave her a brief, disinterested glance before turning back to filling a second mug of coffee.

Wait.

“Two mugs?” Kym wondered aloud, tilting her head. “I’m all for drinking multiple cups, but two whole mugs when it’s almost noon seems a little-”

“Question my coffee-imbibing habits again, Sergeant, and I’ll hit you upside the head with this mug. It would be a waste of coffee, but worth it to shut you up.”

Kym held up her hands as if in surrender, smiling innocently.

“Fine! You get your coffee, I’ll get mine- or Will’s, actually- and nobody has to weaponize the mugs.” She made her way over to the coffeepot and began to pour, sneaking a side glance at Lukas as she did so.

The coffee pot almost fell out of her hand.

_Lukas Randall,_ famed for drinking his coffee as black as possible, was pouring _cream_ into one of the two mugs. _Grumpy Cat. Sweetener._

Interesting. Very, very interesting.

“Officer,” she ventured, trying (and failing) to keep the smile from her voice. “I don’t think both of those mugs are for you, after all.”

“And _I_ don’t see how it’s any of your concern,” Lukas muttered darkly.

“Just curious is all,” Kym said. “As to what is prompting you to bring Secretary Desroses her coffee on this fine morning.”

Lukas’ hand stilled.

“What,” he said, his voice deceptively calm, “makes you think I’m-”

“Lila is the only person in the precinct who takes that much cream in her coffee,” Kym said gleefully. “What _ever_ could have prompted this gesture of kindness? Come now, Lukas- there will be no judgment in the breakroom-”

“Be quiet,” Lukas hissed. _“Please.”_ The use of an actual ‘please’ from him was enough to stop Kym in her tracks. Grumpy Cat rubbed his neck, and despite his customary dark expression Kym could feel the tension radiating from him. It was enough to make her hold her tongue, for fear of further provoking his wrath.

A beat of silence. Lukas still hadn’t moved from where he stood, hunched over his two mugs. Kym turned to fill Will’s mug, and had begun stirring in the sugar (just a spoonful) when Grumpy Cat finally spoke up.

“Lila and I may,” he said slowly, like voicing this was physically painful, “or may not have been meeting for coffee. That’s all.”

“So there _is_ someone in the world you don’t completely despise!” Kym gasped, whirling around. “This is _wonderful_ news-”

“I regret saying anything,” Grumpy Cat muttered, picking up both coffee mugs and striding decisively away. Kym hurried after him.

“Oh, you _can’t_ leave without giving me more information than _that,_ Lukas! Come, now- how long have you two been seeing each other? What brought you to-”

Lukas fixed her with an utterly murderous stare. Kym stopped- she was bubbling with questions, but even she knew there were lines that one shouldn’t cross with Grumpy Cat if one wanted to keep one’s limbs functioning and attached.

But then the fight seemed to drain out of Lukas. His shoulders slumped, and he gave a short, huffing sigh, glancing back down at the extra coffee mug.

“Lila…” he said thoughtfully. “She- it’s-” the barest hint of a fond smile tugged at his upper lip. Kym felt like she was witnessing something both momentous and fragile- like a moth emerging from its cocoon, or an easily startled animal making eye contact with you. Like if you moved or breathed too loudly, it might shatter and be gone.

“...Lila is tolerable,” Lukas spoke again, his voice flat and his face back under control. “Don’t ask me any more questions, Sarge, or you’ll have a coffee-mug induced concussion coming your way.”

Somehow, the threat lacked its usual bite, but Kym knew better than to press further. She and Lukas made their way back to the office in silence.

\---

“Wow. That’s an interesting development,” Lauren said, raising her eyebrows.

“I know, right?” Kym kept quiet, sneaking a swift glance over her shoulder at Lila’s desk. Lukas was leaning against the edge, sipping his coffee and rifling through a set of forms Lila had asked him to help her check over. Lila caught Kym eyeing the two of them and went distinctly red. Kym winked at her. “What an adorable display of domesticity. I hadn’t realized Lukas knew how to _not_ scowl for more than a minute consecutively.”

Lukas picked up on those words, despite Kym’s attempt to be quiet, and promptly threw her a glare. It was somewhat halfhearted, though, and vanished abruptly as Lila tapped his arm and asked if he was done checking the papers she’d given him. Kym turned back to Lauren, matching her still-bewildered grin with a wide one of her own.

“Ladell!” Will called over, frowning at the pair of them. “Where is my coffee?”

“Right here, Lieutenant!” Kym declared, snatching the mug from where she had set it on Lauren’s desk and bearing it over to Will’s, holding it aloft like a trophy. “Never fear- I, your savior, have arrived, bringing-”

“Just give me the mug, Ladell,” Will said, rolling his eyes and extending a hand. Kym obliged, still beaming. Will cast her a furtive glance and took a sip, as though testing it.

“Hmm,” he said. “It’s actually normal. I thought for a moment you might actually act on your threat of putting salt in my coffee.”

“Under the threat of more paperwork?” Kym gasped. “I would never. I’m amazed that you would think so little of me, Willame.” She stuck her tongue out at him once more, earning another weary smile from Will.

“What I meant was, ‘thank you for not salting my coffee,’ Ladell,” he deadpanned, looking over the rim of his mug at her. Kym seemed taken aback by his sincerity for a moment, her eyes widening near-imperceptibly, before she recovered and offered him a half-mocking salute.

Interesting, Lauren noted, scratching off a signature for one of her own pieces of paperwork. She glanced up in time to see her bantering friends exchange an almost shy smile. 

Very interesting indeed. She stifled a grin.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: hmm whose pov should I write this from-?  
> Me @ me: yes.
> 
>   
> Lukas/Lila started out as a semi-crack ship for me but now I have become inexplicably and irreversibly attached. I will carve out a niche for them in this fandom with my bare hands if I have to.
> 
> This is the fluffiest, most plot-less thing I have ever written but I needed a reprieve from the [admittedly delicious] angst that has been flooding the ph tag recently.
> 
> (I say, planning to write angst of my own immediately following this fluff-fest: mwahahaaa)


End file.
